


No Such Thing as a Truth Serum

by CaptainSummerDay



Series: Wilderness [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Dark, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-25
Updated: 2014-06-25
Packaged: 2018-02-06 03:08:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1842058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainSummerDay/pseuds/CaptainSummerDay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One Shot. With the team's hunt for Raina leaving them empty handed, a new approach is needed. And you can always trust a Hacker to find a weakness and exploit it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Such Thing as a Truth Serum

**Author's Note:**

> Some of you may be aware of what I'm calling my 'Wilderness AU' over on tumblr. In my head that series takes place around the same time as a potential third season. This fic is pretty much a prequel.
> 
> Dark tag because nobody really comes out of this well.

Skye stares at the device on the table, the detailed explanation of how it works swirling round the edges of her brain.

They’d been chasing shadows for months in their hunt for Raina. The woman was a ghost, an after image burned onto every scene they’d come across. Even with all the resources that the new S.H.I.E.L.D. had to offer, they’d failed every time.

Which was why they were changing their tactics.

Skye can feel Coulson’s eyes on her as she picks up the miniature dart gun, easy to conceal but with only one shot inside. She focuses on May as the older Agent runs through what they know about their target’s location.

Dublin, Ireland.

Jemma is speaking again, describing the new chemical compound she’s been developing.

“You’re not seriously going through with this.”

The shock in Fitz’s voice cuts through everything else, the scientist currently looking round the room with an expression close to horror on his face. “You’re not just going to shoot him up with some drug that’s never been tested. He’s not some lab rat, you know.”

“We’ve little choice. So far Hydra and Raina have been one step ahead of us this whole time. If the plan works and we’re able to gather intel-“

Coulson is cut off as Fitz is unable to contain his disgust. “If. If? Can you hear yourselves right now? Are you even listening? This isn’t who we are. This isn’t what we do. We’re supposed to be the good guys here, the protectors.”

Coulson sighs and Skye clamps down on a flicker of _something_ deep in her gut. The argument is not a new one.

Jemma reaches out to place a comforting hand on Fitz’s shoulder. “Everything has to adapt to survive, Fitz. It’s basic evolution and this could be what we need to finally win.”

Fitz shakes her off and glares round the table. “It’s not winning if we fight like this.”

He pushes away and starts to wheel himself towards the door, pausing before he exits. “If we fight like this then we’ve already lost.”

The team watch him leave. The silence hangs heavy in the room before Jemma mutters an apology and runs off after him. Skye finds herself staring back down at the blurred surveillance picture of her target.

“Skye?”

She looks up to find Coulson watching her, concern playing at the edge of his features. “You’re the one going in there. It’s your call.”

Skye looks back down at the face she once thought she knew so well and straightens her shoulders. She can do this. She has to.

“We need to know what Raina’s planning. I can handle Ward.”

She hopes neither May or Coulson notice how her smile doesn’t reach her eyes.

***

Grant is alone in the hotel bar, a tumbler of whiskey by his elbow. Skye knows he’s clocked her the moment she steps in, but he doesn’t react as she makes her way to the seat beside him.

He doesn’t look at her as she sits down and orders a drink.

She can’t stop staring at the scar on his face.

Focus Skye. The mission.

“It’s weird, isn’t it? How you find yourself talking to strangers in hotel bars?”

Grant pauses with the whiskey at his mouth. “I wouldn’t call us strangers.”

“I would.”

He tips the glass. Skye’s eyes track the movement of his throat as he swallows.

She turns in her seat as he rises, her arm reaching out in time to grab his before he passes her. She feels the slight jump, the tension.

“Can I, buy you a drink?”

He looks at her then. She can see his eyes burn, that muscle in his jaw twitch. “What are you doing?”

He doesn’t look away as she rises, making an involuntary movement forward to meet her as she leans into him to whisper, “This.”

The single shot of dendrotoxin has him on the floor in seconds.

***

The first thing Grant is aware of is the strain across his shoulders. It’s only when he tries to shift them forwards he notices the cuffs around his wrists.

He knows then what this is.

_Interrogation_

Why his head had been screaming out a warning in the bar. He’s been here enough times before...

_Make me believe_

The words drift in the fog of his mind. It’s hard to focus. If he wasn’t currently restrained Grant wonders if he might float away.

He can’t see her, but he knows she’s there. He forces open his eyes and his vision swims. The light from the ceiling is piercing...

“You’re awake...”

Her voice is like a caress. He flinches anyway.

He tugs once more at the cuffs binding him to the metal chair. His arms feel heavy and weak.

“What did you give me?”

He rasps the words out but doesn’t expect an answer. He can hear her moving and then she’s leaning back on the table in front of him, arms folded, legs crossed.

 _Defensive_ Grant’s mind supplies.

He’s relieved by the memory. His stomach then lurches at the memories.

“Simmons hasn’t named it yet. All I know is it’s meant to lower inhibitions. Get rid of all those walls you like to hide behind.”

She quirks her head, watching as his own spins. He can feel his heart race as he swallows thickly.

“There’s no such thing as a truth serum.”

Skye smiles as she slides up onto the table behind her.

“Guess we’re about to find out.”

***

“Who broke you out?”

“No-one.”

“You had help though, who helped you?”

“No-one.”

“Was it Raina? The two of you all buddy buddy now?”

“No.”

It’s hard.

Grant can feel the pounding of his heart vibrate in every part of his body. He has to focus. Fight against the pull of the drug coursing through his veins. He can’t think clearly enough to lie but he knows she doesn’t believe him.

His fingers curl as he wrenches his wrists against the cuffs. The sharp pain that follows is a welcome relief.

Skye leans forward into his field of vision with a frown on her face. He can’t help the way his eyes track the movement. He can see the moment she realises. The way her eyes widen slightly. Her lips part.

He can’t look away.

She hooks a foot around the front leg of his chair. Drags him closer so she’s all he can see.

He can feel his heart race.

He will not panic.

“Do you know, what I want?”

He shakes his head. Once. His whole body trembles. It hurts to breathe. To think.

“What I want...”

she’s sliding forwards off the table, stepping towards him and closing the gap,

“... _Grant_...”

she’s almost on top of him, he can feel the brush of her legs on the outside of his own,

“...what I want you to give me...”

he can feel the warmth from where her body touches him, can smell the vanilla that clings to her hair from the shampoo she likes, can see the gentle pulse of her heartbeat in her neck as she leans in,

“...is an answer...”

He will not panic.

She reaches behind him to grab the back of his chair as she lowers herself down on top on him, pulls herself closer until she’s almost pressed against him, her cheek brushes his as she leans in to whisper,

“Just one, honest answer and maybe I’ll give you something you want.”

He can’t pull away. Can’t stop the exhale that rips out as she runs a finger underneath the curve of his jaw. Can’t hide the want, need, fear in his eyes as she moves back to look at him.

His chest tightens like a vice. He knows she can see the weakness in him.

He has to fight that weakness.

She leans in closer. He’s losing himself in her eyes.

He feels her breath against his mouth.

“Tell me where to find Raina.”

“No.”

It takes everything to grit out the answer. The last of his strength. His fight. He can feel himself slipping, his fingers stretching out to brush against her calves, his eyes locked on hers.

He jumps at the gentle touch on his neck as her thumbs sweep against the weak spot behind his ears, her lips almost touching his as she repeats the question.

“Tell me-“

He surges upwards, crashing his lips against hers, trying to convey everything he can’t say in the kiss. How he’s doing this for her. How he needs to protect her from the even greater threat she doesn’t know is out there, right now, looking for her. How he has to make sure that monster never finds her. How he’s sorry, so fucking sorry for everything he’s done but would do it all again because he never lied to her. How she’s worked her way beneath his skin so far that he can feel her with every heartbeat, every breath. How much he wants this, wants her despite knowing that it can never happen.

How much he needs her to believe in him again.

She pulls away suddenly with a dazed look on her face. He tries to follow but his bonds won’t let him.

Her hand rests loosely on his chest as she frowns and shakes her head.

“Guess we don’t have a truth serum after all.”

He wonders if she can feel the moment his heart shatters.


End file.
